Third Times The Charm
by K.Holtzman
Summary: Slash. HB/Abe. More detailed warnings inside. They're best friends, both crushed by the absence of Liz, just looking for someone to lean on. However, turns out, all they have is each other.


**DISCLAIMER:I do not own any of the characters, they are the property of Mike Mignola. I own only the story idea, not the characters or the name. Hellboy and Abe are property of Mike Mignola and Dark Horse Comics. I make no profit from this, monetary or otherwise.**

**_A/N: Okay so I finally succeeded in getting a friend to watch Hellboy the movie, and of course being a fellow fanfiction writer, a fellow slash writer at that, she had the slash goggles on that night. And well couple of email conversations later over the movie and this was born. I promise one day I will write a non-slash Hellboy fic, just something with a lot of banter and ass-kicking. Anyway thanks to Evil Cosmic Triplets for encouraging this and the feedback. _**

**WARNING: This IS SLASSSHHHH! Okay? Got it? Slash. Abe/Hellboy. Non-explicit. Suggestive themes and words and a tad bit of kissing.**

**_Anyone who writes a review that is pointless/useless (ergo offer no support or constructive criticism) will then have Hellboy sicked on them. And I can tell you he doesn't like to be disturbed by such things, so DON"T DO IT!_**

**_Enjoy :)_**

It's not something either of them understands. The feeling they get when they're together, the experience and pure weightlessness of it all. The effect isn't lost on them no, they just don't know how it happened, or why, but they are quite content to let it continue.

Hellboy was hurt, lost, and broken with Liz leaving. Recovering from a broken heart is hard enough, doing it when you are some giant red devil monster is an entirely different matter. He had fallen, to the bottom quite possibly, and needed to be lifted back up.

Abraham was in a similar situation, Liz leaving hurt him as well. It was like he lost a sister, someone who understood the idea of being a freak. Yet he resented her trying to flee from the fact that they were different- no one knew this of course, except maybe Hellboy. To Abe though, it was just another loss, proof he would always be alone and that someday even Hellboy would leave him- more likely by death, yeah, but still. It just asserted the fact, Abe wasn't normal, he didn't fit in. It was like teenage confusion multiplied by a thousand re-lived every day. He didn't know where he belonged, but at the moment, BPRD seemed the best choice.

Hellboy was raised in this, it was all he knew- fighting freakish supernatural monsters like himself to protect the human race in hopes of feeling good about himself or something. He never really was sure what he was here for, it was a lingering doubt increased by Professor Trevor Broom's, Father's, death. Something he would never get through, much less get over.

Life was made easier for both of them, instantly almost, when they first crossed paths. And years later Hellboy and Abe were still the best of friends, there for a good kick in the pants or to lean on when either needed it. It was no different in light of their recent plagues.

It all started with a simple glance, a shared look across a room filled with BPRD agents. It was a debriefing to discuss the recent mission and the lives lost. The agency had been hit hard that day, too much tragedy and this new development didn't help any. When their eyes had met, it was mirrored emotions. Golden eyes meeting jet-black ones with equal pain and need.

It was that night they fell into bed together.

First meeting in the hall outside of Hellboy's quarters. Abe's was right down the hall, and he should've continued that way, but his legs wouldn't move, not until Hellboy invited him inside. It was normal at first, just 'hanging' as Hellboy called it, two beers and simple words. Then things turned to Liz, and Hellboy turned away as to spare Abe the pained look on his face. It was here that Abe officially decided, both Hellboy and himself, needed someone. And obviously there were not too many options.

Abe placed his hand on the small of Hellboy's back, the red muscles tensing underneath his touch. His psychometry abilities allowed him to pick up all kinds of emotions from the red guy; some too close together to be distinctive.

"She left both of us. I understand how you feel friend."

"No, no you don't." Hellboy sighed, a hand scrubbing down his face as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"Quite the contrary, you feel as though you have lost someone close to you, a friend, maybe more, and it's as though your heart has been ripped to shreds. Almost like you can't live a single moment without pain."

Hellboy arched an eyebrow at him, a small smirk gracing his lips despite the circumstances. "That was beautiful."

"Thank you, I do try." Abe tilted his head to the side, eyelids flickering. He sat down next to Hellboy, knees so close they were touching.

"So what now?" Hellboy took a sip of his beer, passing a can over to Abe.

"Well I assume we get drunk." Abe crack the can open, a disgusted look crossing his face as he sniffed the can suspiciously. He then took a giant gulp.

"Well yeah, I figured that much out. But afterwards is what I mean. They can't expect us to just keep fighting, I mean at least give us a vacation right?"

"Evil never takes a holiday."

"Evil schmevil. I want to lie on a beach, cry in a martini, and tan in the sun." Hellboy's eyes glazed over as he thought of this vacation, Abe simply look confused.

"HB, you're red. I don't think you can get any tanner." Hellboy gave him a look, a 'Don't ruin my moment' kinda look and Abe just shrugged it off.

"Still think we need a vacation though."

"I am inclined to agree. But where would we go? Too many humans are hostile towards the likes of creatures like us."

"You mean freaks?"

"Yes. Freaks." Abe lowered his head a bit, a new pain settling in his chest as he avoided Hellboy's eyes. Red could see his comment had hurt Abe, and now he felt a twinge of guilt- just a twinge.

"Hey," Hellboy leaned forward and clasped an arm around Abe's shoulders. "We can a vacation here then, turn one of the spare rooms into a beach spot."

"Sure." Abe did not share in Hellboy's enthusiasm. He was too wrapped in his thoughts, dark thoughts. Doubt filling him to the brim as he thought of how easily Liz had crumbled, how easily he could. Except he wouldn't be able to run away.

"I didn't mean what I said earlier. The whole 'freak' thing I was just-"

"But you're right Hellboy," Abe slipped out from Hellboy's arm and began pacing a three foot distance at the foot of the bed. "We _are_freaks. And I can't help but wonder why we're here. To fight evil and protect humans, sure. But we'll never be recognized for such efforts. We'll always be hated." Abe's breath quickened as he spoke. Hellboy never realized how easily he could get the Fishstick worked up.

"Abe, slow down." Hellboy slipped up in front of Abe, placing his heavy hands on either of the fishmans shoulders. "It's fine."

"No, what if we're always stuck hiding underground like rats in a sewer? I want to see things Hellboy. I want to-"

"Whoa bro chill. No one ever said we were rats- I am most certainly not a rat, too good-looking. And you, you're a fish. Look I get you hate this kinda stuff, but it's all we got. We're not like Liz, you and me. We can't run away and just forget it all." Hellboy instantly regretted mentioning Liz, all it did was make Abe look even sadder and Hellboy knew, _felt_, how much it had hurt him.

Abe picked up on Hellboy's emotions, clearer now than he had before, and his heart froze. Hellboy was filled with sadness and Abe blamed himself, he was supposed to help Hellboy not bring the guy down.

And this is one of the few times Abe will curse his psychometry ability, Hellboy's emotions are practically melding with his own, overpowering sadness and a sense of loss and being lost that needs to be driven away. But Abe isn't sure what to do, he can feel adrenaline pumping through his veins, heart beating fast. If he wasn't so sure of his own fishlike anatomy, he'd say he was sweating, and then there was that urge. A power overcoming his whole body that he's not sure what it means or what to do with it, but he has to do something. And Hellboy is right there in front of him, so close, and he just has to do something. These emotions were killing him slowly, ripping him apart; they have to be doing the same to Red. And damn he just _has _to do something.

So he did.

It's quick and it's simple, one second he's having an inner battle and the next, his lips are on Hellboy's.

An odd sensation passes through the two of them and neither Abe or Hellboy are fully aware of their circumstances, they understand the actions but not the means, and yet neither pulls away. They stay sealed, blue lips locked on red.

Abe felt flooded, but not like before. He only picked up one emotion this time. He just wasn't sure whether it was his or Hellboy's or both.

Hellboy pulled back, his eyes were saucers, and his mouth slightly agape. "Abe..."

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! Hellboy I-"

"Shut up." Hellboy murmured against his lips after diving in for another kiss. "Just shut up."

"But I don't understand." Abe wanted Hellboy, he really did, something he realized in the last few moments. But this was not the reaction he expected- not from some 7-foot, red guy who was just in a relationship with a woman- a combustible _woman-_only a few months ago.

"And we're gonna sit here and question it? Really?"

"Well, I don't know I just..."

"You really know how to kill the moment." Hellboy was going for levity, he wasn't really sure what else to do; this wasn't exactly a situation he had been in before. Abe, however, took the comment much too seriously. To Hellboy, Abe's eyes seemed to grow darker; though how that's possible when his eyes are already pitch black Hellboy will never know.

"You are just a proprietor of snide comments, aren't you."

"Surrrreee..." _Not that I know what that is._

Hellboy fell into a chair, a little lost for words and seriously considering just going to bed and pretending like none of this ever happened.

"I feel awkward." Hellboy glanced over at Abe, the fishman pushing his pointer fingers together in a nervous fashion, rocking on the heels of his feet. _Cute..._

Cute- yes, extremely cute. A freakish, blue, slimy fish on two feet was unbelievably cute. Maybe it shouldn't be but it was. And Hellboy was seriously considering down on the guy right then and there. Of course, they already tried that didn't they? Even kissed twice and they didn't make it a step towards the bed, not that they needed the bed but still. _One, two, three times the charm_- Hellboy stood up quickly, a swift movement bringing him to Abe in a second, followed quickly by him pressing his lips to Abe's, his body against Abe's.

Hellboy gave in, Abe could feel it through the sensors in his hands as they moved, with a mind of their own, to Hellboy's back. He was startled, cause honestly this was unexpected; a delightfully unexpected thing. But still unexpected and when Hellboy kissed him it was different then the first two times, somehow a fire was burning in himself and HB, a fire that he shouldn't be able to posses cause aquatic creatures don't really have fire do they? _Look at me, questioning everything._But it's what he always did, he was a scientist first and everything else fell somewhere below that. Priorities definitely needed adjusting.

Abe's legs buckled as he hit the edge of the bed, Hellboy following him down, never breaking their kiss. Somehow the next time Hellboy looked, and what he saw registered, both him and Abe were half naked and only a bit of fabric apart from everything: The closeness, the warmth, the connection; all things Hellboy desperately wanted and needed. The same reflected in Abe.

It was blur in his mind, the writhing, squirming, and crying out, the screams of ecstasy and overwhelming feel of being full and completed. It seemed to have lasted forever, yet felt like a mere second all at the same time. He was left lying there, a sweaty panting mess, with Hellboy curled around him, lightly dozing and murmuring things in his ear between wakes.  
"We really did this." Abe finally lets out, a sigh following it. One of relief, more than anything else; like some weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"And we're gonna sit here and question it? Really?" Hellboy let one eye open a slit, a shimmer of gold among the red.

"I'm sensing some déjà vu here.'

"Ha, our life is déjà vu Abe, doing the same things over and over- just with different people."

"Different...people..."

"Yeah." Hellboy whispered around a yawn, placing a series of feather kisses, a gracefulness to them that Abe didn't think the big brute could possess, along his neck and face. Abe felt Hellboy still behind him, his breathing even.

It was then that Abe thought about leaving, not that anyone would dare come into Hellboy's room lest they wanted a fist to the face. But in the morning everything might be different. The mutual feelings born from pain and sadness may have led to things to be regretted- some not-so-mutual feelings.

Abe decided against it though, for the moment at least. He'd leave in the morning, though at the end of the day, he knew he'd end up back here, by his own feelings or not, and would always keep returning.

_Three times the charm, _he thought.

_**A/N: No word on whether I will write anything else, slash or non, for the Hellboy fandom. i will leave that up to you guys or my crazy imagination.**_

_**Reviews please! They make me grin- even if it's just criticism please, review!**_

_**Stay Frosty.**_


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